I believe that reporters – at least the good ones – loathe when they, or their situation, become the story.  And that is exactly what happened to Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek, on a recent visit to The Daily Show (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-may-5-2010/jon-meacham).  Meacham had been scheduled to discuss “Need to Know”, a new PBS program he was about to debut, (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/).  However, that plan changed the morning of the interview when The Washington Post Co. announced that they were putting Newsweek up for sale after 33 years of ownership – and 77 years of publication.  With that as a backdrop, John (Stewart) and Jon (Meacham) were set for a fascinating conversation about the state of publishing and reporting in general.   

Two elements of the Post’s announcement stood out to me: The main reason given for the sale; “the company can foresee no path to profitability for the money losing magazine,” and the statement by Donald E. Graham that he accepted responsibility “for not seeing early enough and reacting in the right way to the changes that have come to our industry.”  Donald Graham is the son of Phillip & Katherine Graham and their company purchased Newsweek at the urging of Ben Bradlee – an amazing collection of publishing royalty.  If this group is up for sale, is there a future for traditional publishing companies?   

John & Jon engaged in a captivating conversation that touched on the role of reporters in the Internet age, the sad realities of the publishing business model in general and the future of Newsweek specifically.  The most interesting exchange came when Stewart compared the current state of publishing to that of the horse carriage industry at the introduction of the automobile and Meacham responded with a new approach for publishing that centers on a “solely digital focus” during the week and a print recap publication for weekend readers.  While I don’t believe that this model would recoup the full advertising revenue that magazines have relied on, I do believe that this idea has merit.  I would value a publication like Newsweek providing a recap and analysis of the key issues that sparked debate throughout the week.  I believe it would also allow them to reclaim a bit of the voice of authority they held before the explosion of the Internet.

Stewart maintained his usual witty banter throughout the chat and Meacham generally played along, yet I was left with a sense of unease as the conversation ended.  Meacham ended with a good rallying cry – and an offer to bring the for sale papers over for Stewart to sign – but his demeanor was hard to ignore and he appeared a bit defeated.  My career includes a good deal of media buying and planning and I am a voracious reader of both books and magazines.  I am also an early adopter – and I must say, fan – of the iPad, and, I am a huge advocate for the potential of the web for reasons well beyond my current paycheck.  I initially found myself conflicted by the state of media and the potential loss of a publication like Newsweek.  But then I went back and watched the Stewart interview again and I focused on a passage where Meacham discussed his so-called “virtual beltway”, a consumer group that values both digital and traditional media, a consumer segment that heavily uses the Internet yet still values hard covered books and print publications.  I personally relate to this consumer segment and I believe I’m not alone.  I still receive a daily newspaper and I don’t believe I’d enjoy my Sunday morning coffee as much if I were reading the news on my iPad.  But I’m eager to hear your perspectives – do you see a place for a publication like Newsweek in today’s Internet age?

You all have heard the good word – online sales are on the rise and consumer confidence is steadily increasing. But the interesting part about the uptick in online sales is that customers are using their credit cards less to make online purchases.

A recent article on WalletPop.com entitled, “Customers rely less on credit cards when buying online,” highlights a new study from Javelin Strategy & Research which reveals that Americans are using other payment methods such as PayPal and debit cards more frequently.

The research group attributes the decline in credit card activity to the advances in technology to make online shopping more secure, and consumers’ desires to curb their “buy now, pay later” spending and keep their debt under control.

What are your thoughts on this trend? Please share them with us – we’d love to hear what you have to say.

We just came across this great Shop.org interview with Zia Daniell Wigder, a senior analyst at Forrester Research, and a leading expert on Web globalization. In this post Zia offers some key considerations for e-commerce businesses considering geographic expansion.

Specifically, Zia advises e-tailers to take a look at their internal factors prior to determining when and where to go global, such as measuring the amount of international traffic currently on the site, determining how strong the brand recognition is overseas, and identifying whether or not your organization has international staff that’s willing to play a role in this new venture.

Zia goes on to discuss how existing technologies in the US online retail space can prove advantageous as American companies consider overseas expansion. Features such as ratings, user reviews, and increasingly, recommendation engines are more commonly used on US retail sites, yet they do not tend to be as widely deployed in other markets. That’s a key differentiator for US-based e-tailers looking to distinguish their global offerings from those of local competitors.

The post also includes some amusing tidbits that any traveler can identify with (i.e., heading to a business meeting sans luggage), and some others that perhaps are not so frequently encountered (such as her unplanned stay at a Samarkand, Uzbekistan hotel, that formerly served as a “house of ill repute”).

For another take on this timely topic, you may like to view the Webinar that ATG recently hosted with internationalization experts from Deloitte and e2X.

Please share any of your own insights into or plans for e-globalization…of course, we’re always open to hearing any travel mishaps, as well!